Sofia Metro

Sofia Metro Софийско метро
Overview
Owner	City of Sofia
Locale	Sofia, Bulgaria
Transit type	Rapid transit
Number of lines	2 (plus 1 under project)
Number of stations	27 (plus 7 under construction)
Daily ridership	362,000 per day (2013)
Chief executive	Stoyan Bratoev
Headquarters	121, Knyaz Boris I str.
Website	metropolitan.bg
Operation
Began operation	28 January 1998
Operator(s)	Metropolitan-Sofia JSC
Number of vehicles	42
Technical
System length	31 km (19.3 mi)
Track gauge	1435
Electrification	Third rail, 825V DC
Top speed	90 km/h (56 mph)
System map

The Sofia Metropolitan (Bulgarian: Софийско метро, translit. Sofiysko metro) is the rapid transit network servicing the Bulgarian capital city Sofia. As of 31 August 2012 it consisted of two interconnected lines (27 stations) with a total length of 31 kilometres (19 mi) linking the highly populated districts of Lyulin – Mladost (Line 1 – Red) and Nadezhda – Lozenetz (Line 2 – Blue).

History

Planned since the 1960s, construction of the Metro was not officially launched until the late 1990s mainly because the city did not experience an urgent need for an underground system in addition to the stalled construction due to lack of sufficient funding. Another factor was the depth at which the construction works had to be carried out: being one of the oldest cities in Europe, Sofia contains many historical layers underneath its central areas. Evidence of antiquity can be clearly seen at the Serdika Station which exhibits a wealth of unearthed Thracian and Roman ruins and modern architecture. During the construction of the enormous complex of the National Palace of Culture two stations forming part of the then future Line 2 and their connecting tunnels were built.

The construction of the system began from the route that sees the highest volumes of passenger traffic, that can easily reach up to 40,000 at rush hour.

Lines

Due to the increased number of population, every day from the periphery to the centre and backwards, big passenger flows are being formed. The necessity of efficient public transport in the direction of the largest passenger flows, transport and environmental problems of the city have imposed the start of the construction of the metropolitan in Sofia. Following the ratified by the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria a Technical and economic report on the metro and the approved General City Plan, the General scheme for the development of the lines should consist of three diameters with extensions in the periphery, with total length of 65 km, 63 metro stations, and 1,2 million daily passenger capacity at the final stage of implementation.

#	Opened	Length	Stations
1	1998–2012	29 km	23
2	2012	17 km	17
3	Project	19 km	23
	Total:	65 km	63

First Line M1 – Red line

The first 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) long section of line 1 consisting of five stations linking Slivnitsa Boulevard through Lyulin and K. Velichkov Boulevard was inaugurated on 28 January 1998. Opalchenska station entered into service on 17 September 1999 and Serdika station situated on St Nedelya Square followed on 31 October 2000, extending the total system length to 8.1 kilometres (5.0 mi). The operational section of the line was further extended with a 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) long section, reaching Obelya housing estate in April 2003.

The extension of Line 1 continued in 2005 with the start of the construction of 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) of tunnels and three stations linking St Nedelya Square and the Interped World Trade Center in Izgrev (station Frédéric Joliot-Curie). 2006 saw the start of the construction of another section of the same line (consisting of 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) of tunnels and three stations) linking Izgrev and Mladost I housing estate. The completion of the first three stations was projected for the autumn of 2007, however as a result of various delays it was the second section from the first line (Vasil Levski stadium – Mladost 1) that first entered into service on 8 May 2009, operating for a brief period of time separately from the north-west portion of the line. The remaining section between Serdika and Vasil Levski stadium station finally entered into service on 7 September 2009 establishing an interrupted link between Obelya and Mladost 1 stations.

Line 1 branches in two: Northern branch from Mladost I to Sofia Airport (7.2 kilometres (4.5 mi), six stations), and Southern branch from Mladost I to Business Park Sofia (four stations). The construction of the first two stations of the Northern branch began on 15 February 2009 and was completed on 25 April 2012. The Northern branch extension to Sofia Airport is under way and it is planned to be completed and enter into service by 2015. The construction of the Southern branch to Mladost IV and the Sofia Ring road began on 25 April 2013.The stretch is expected to be ready in two years. It is 2,7km long, costs EUR 120,000,000 and is going to service the majority of the second most densely populated area in Sofia.

M1 line
All stations are wheelchair accessible
4 To Obelya Obelya Depot Slivnitsa Lyulin Zapaden Park Suhodolska River Vardar Konstantin Velichkov Vladayska River Opalchenska Serdika2 SU St. Kliment Ohridski3 Perlovska River Vasil Levski Stadium Joliot-Curie Novachitsa River G.M.Dimitrov Musagenitsa Darvenishka River Mladost 1 4 To Sofia Airport Aleksandar Malinov Akademik Aleksandar Teodorov - Balan Banishka River Business Park Sofia Mladost 4 Station names in italics are not confirmed.
Detailed track map 1 – 4 to Depot   ↓Opened 1998↓ 0' Slivnitsa 2' Lyulin 4' Zapaden Park Suhodolska National Rail to Pernik-Kulata/Kyustendil 7' Vardar 9' Konstantin Velichkov   ↓Opened 1999↓ Vladayska 11' Opalchenska   ↓Opened 2000↓ 13' Serdika Serdika II 2   ↓Opened 2009↓ 15' Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski Orlov Most 3 Perlovska 17' Vasil Levski Stadium 21' Joliot-Curie WTC Novachitsa 23' G.M.Dimitrov 24' Musagenitsa Darvenishka 26' Mladost 1 00' 4 to Sofia Airport 00'   ↓Opened 2012↓   29' Mladost 3 31' Inter Expo Center – Tsarigradsko shose   ↓Opened 2015↓ 33' Druzhba 36' Iskarsko shose National Rail to Ihtiman/Karlovo 38' Sofiyska Sveta gora 40' Sofia Airport Terminal 2 Airport branch end 00'   ↓Opened 2015↓   28' Aleksandar Malinov 30' Akademik Aleksandar Teodorov - Balan Banishka 32' Business Park Sofia Mladost branch end

Main Line

Station	In service since
Obelya (Обеля)	20 April 2003
Slivnitsa (Сливница)	28 January 1998
Lyulin (Люлин)	28 January 1998
Zapaden park (Западен парк)	28 January 1998
Vardar (Вардар)	28 January 1998
Konstantin Velichkov (Константин Величков)	28 January 1998
Opalchenska (Опълченска)	17 September 1999
Serdika (Сердика)	31 October 2000
St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University (СУ „Св. Климент Охридски“)	7 September 2009
Vasil Levski stadium (Стадион „Васил Левски“)	8 May, 2009
Joliot-Curie (Жолио Кюри)	8 May, 2009
G.M.Dimitrov (Г. М. Димитров)	8 May, 2009
Musagenitsa (Мусагеница)	8 May, 2009
Mladost 1 (Младост 1)	8 May, 2009
Northern branch (in construction)
Mladost 3 (Младост 3)	25 April 2012
Inter Expo Center - Tsarigradsko shose (Интер Експо Център - Цариградско шосе)	25 April 2012
Drujba 2 (Дружба 2)	to be completed in 2014/2015
Drujba 1 (Дружба 1)	to be completed in 2014/2015
Iskar (НПЗ Искър)	to be completed in 2014/2015
Sofia Airport (Аерогара София)	to be completed in 2014/2015
Southern branch (in construction)
Mladost 2 (Младост 2)	to be completed in 2015
Aleksandar Malinov (Александър Малинов)	to be completed in 2015
Business Park Sofia - Mladost 4 (Бизнес Парк София - Младост 4)	to be completed in 2015

Second Line M2 – Blue Line

The second line of the Sofia Metro links the districts of Obelya, Nadezhda, the city centre and Lozenets to the south of the city. Half of the construction cost was covered by the European Union, with the remaining part funded by the state and city budgets. Construction of the 6.4 km section between Nadezhda interchange and Lozenets district via Tsentralna railway station and the National Palace of Culture started on 14 December 2008. Work on the section between Obelya residential District and Nadezhda started in February 2010. Both sections of the line entered into service on 31 August 2012.

NDK and European Union stations and their connecting tunnels were partly completed during the construction of the National Palace of Culture and the redevelopment of the surrounding area in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Provisions have been made for the construction of future branch to Iliyantsi, starting from the existing junction located between Knyaginya Maria Luiza and Nadezhda stations.

Main Line

Station	In service since	Notes
Obelya (Обеля)	20 April 2003	Set to be used as a link between the depot and line M2.
Lomsko shose (Ломско шосе)	31 August 2012	servicing Vrabnitsa housing estate
Beli Dunav (Бели Дунав)	31 August 2012	situated on the border between Nadezhda 3 and Nadezhda 4 housing estates
Nadezhda (Надежда)	31 August 2012	situated on Lomsko shose boulevard
Han Kubrat (Хан Кубрат)	31 August 2012	situated on the border between Nadezhda 1 and Nadezhda 2 housing estates
Knyaginya Maria Luiza (Княгиня Мария Луиза)	31 August 2012	situated nearby Klementinska hospital
Central Railway Station (Централна ж.п. гара)	31 August 2012
Lavov Most (Лъвов мост)	31 August 2012
Serdika II (Сердика II)	31 August 2012	transfer station between the Red (M1) and Blue (M2) lines
NDK (НДК )	31 August 2012	situated to the north of the National Palace of Culture
European Union (Европейски съюз)	31 August 2012	situated nearby the Earth and Man National Museum
James Bourchier (Джеймс Баучер)	31 August 2012	servicing Lozenets housing estate
Srebarna (Сребърна)		planned to open in 2015; construction to begin in late 2013
Hladilnika (Хладилника)		planned
Sofia ring road (Околовръстен път)		planned

Iliyantsi branch (planned)

• Lev Tolstoy (Лев Толстой)
• Svoboda (Свобода)
• Rozhen (Рожен)
• Iliyantsi (Илиянци)

Third Line M3 – Green Line

The 17 km long third line is still in early planning stages and is still debated among the official authorities and the public. Although not definitive, the initial plans are to build a line connecting Ovcha Kupel neighbourhood (in southwest Sofia) to Vasil Levski neighbourhood (in northeast Sofia), with 19 stations in total, including two transfer stations, with both of the already operational lines. According to the Municipality, they estimate the line will be put into service by 2018.

According to Bulgarian National Television, there will be a total of 16 stations, 8 of which will be overground, in the form of urban light rail. The project design contract has been awarded to the Czech company Metroprojekt Praha a.s.

Rolling stock

"Rusich" train at Musagenitsa Metro Station.

The system uses two types of rolling stock, both made in Russia.

The older train sets, type 81-717/714, have been manufactured by Metrovagonmash in Mytishchi near Moscow and consisted of 48 carriages in total. They were delivered in 1990 – some 8 years prior to the opening of the first section of the system.

The second generation of rolling stock, type 81-740/741 "Rusich", have also been manufactured by Metrovagonmash. The delivery of this type commenced in 2005 and is still in progress. With line M2 now in service, 18 more trains of this type were delivered by the end of 2012.

Traffic figures

Traffic at Sofia Metro

Year	Passengers per day	Change	Metro Stations
1998	<10,000		Initial 5
1999	<11,000	1.0%	6
2000	~15,000	1.8%	7
2001	~17,000	1.8%	7
2002	~20,000	1.0%	7
2003	~25,000	1.6%	8
2004	~26,000	1.0%	8
2005	~27,000	1.0%	8
2006	~28,000	1.0%	8
2007	~29,000	1.0%	8
2008	~30,000	1.0%	8
2009	~80,000	27.0%	14
2010	~100,000	5.2%	14
2011	~130,000	5.4%	14
2012	350,000	50.0%	27
2013 (01.01 – 15.04)	362,000		27

Gallery

First Line M1 – Red line

• 
  Sofia Metro
• 
  Obelya Metro Station
• 
  Zapaden park Metro Station
• 
  Serdika Metro Station
• 
  Serdika Metro Station
• 
  SU St. Kliment Ohridski Metro Station
• 
  SU St. Kliment Ohridski Metro Station
• 
  SU St. Kliment Ohridski Metro Station
• 
  SU St. Kliment Ohridski Metro Station
• 
  SU St. Kliment Ohridski Metro Station
• 
  Vasil Levski stadium Metro Station
• 
  G.M.Dimitrov Metro Station
• 
  Musagenitsa Metro Station
• 
  Musagenitsa Metro Station
• 
  Musagenitsa Metro Station
• 
  Musagenitsa Metro Station
• 
  Musagenitsa Metro Station
• 
  Musagenitsa Metro Station
• 
  Mladost 1 Metro Station
• 
  Mladost 1 Metro Station
• 
  Mladost 1 Metro Station
• 
  Mladost 3 Metro Station
• 
  Mladost 3 Metro Station
• 
  Tsarigradsko shose Metro Station
• 
  Tsarigradsko shose Metro Station

Second Line M2 – Blue line

• 
  Lomsko shose Metro Station
• 
  Lomsko shose Metro Station
• 
  Beli Dunav Metro Station
• 
  Beli Dunav Metro Station
• 
  Nadezhda Metro Station
• 
  Nadezhda Metro Station
• 
  Han Kubrat Metro Station
• 
  Han Kubrat Metro Station
• 
  Knyaginya Maria Luiza Metro Station
• 
  Knyaginya Maria Luiza Metro Station
• 
  Knyaginya Maria Luiza Metro Station
• 
  Central Railway Metro Station
• 
  Central Railway Metro Station
• 
  Lavov most Metro Station
• 
  Lavov most Metro Station
• 
  Serdika II Metro Station
• 
  Serdika II Metro Station
• 
  NDK Metro Station
• 
  NDK Metro Station
• 
  European Union Metro Station
• 
  European Union Metro Station
• 
  James Bourchier Metro Station
• 
  James Bourchier Metro Station

See also

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• List of rapid transit systems
• Sofia Public Transport
• Public buses in Sofia
• Sofia Tramway
• Trolleybuses in Sofia

External links

• Sofia Metro – Official Web Site
• Sofia metro @ urbanrail.net
• Metrovagonmash OAO – Information about the rolling stock
• Metro @ public-transport.net
• Unofficial Sofia tube map inspired by London's one, designed for foreign visitors
• Sofia Metro – quick info and maps